Komeito elects Mitsunari Okamoto as new party leader — The Japan Times

Japan’s opposition Komeito party has decided to appoint former policy chief Mitsunari Okamoto as its new leader. The Japan Times reports that 61-year-old Okamoto will officially take office at the party convention on Saturday.

Change in party leadership

Okamoto will replace 57-year-old Toshiko Takeya, whose term is coming to an end. The new leader told reporters that he would make every effort to build a new party.

Komeito is seeking to rebuild its organization ahead of an extraordinary session of Japan’s parliament due to begin next week, as well as before nationwide local elections next spring.

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Return of lawmakers and cooperation

Last week, members of the House of Representatives who had moved from Komeito to the Centrist Reform Alliance returned to the party after the alliance decided to dissolve itself.

Okamoto said Komeito seeks to cooperate on policy development with lawmakers who share its values, including members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. At the same time, he denied the possibility of Komeito returning to a coalition government led by the Liberal Democratic Party.